Man Admits Defrauding Chinese Singer Kris Wu, Pretends to Be Sexual Assault Accuser's Lawyer

A man has divulged swindling Chinese-Canadian singer Kris Wu over an accusation that the singer had sex with her in her inebriated state, according Beijing police officials on Thursday. The declaration added another saga to a controversy that cost the rapper endorsement signings with brands involving Bulgari and Porsche.

The ex-member of Korean group EXO has pleaded not guilty in response to the accusation. This resulted in a condemnation of Wu and inundated support for the woman online.

Louis Vuitton on Friday became the most recent brand to conclude its contract with Wu.

Woman Played No Part in Fraud

According to police, a man saw rumors regarding the situation online. He then reached out to the woman and acquired information that enabled him to pretend to be her. He asked the family of the singer for money. They indicated the man defrauded both sides, and the accuser was not aware of the fraud.

The statement indicated the said man coaxed the mother of the rapper into transferring 500,000 yuan ($77,000) to the accuser. While pretending to be the attorney of Wu, he attempted to coax the woman into transferring the money to him. It also indicated his attempt to acquire an additional 2.5 million yuan ($390,000) from the family failed, reported Head Topics.

Fraudster Arrested

The Beijing Public Security Bureau said the man was merely identified by the surname Liu. The bureau stated the man admitted to fraud.

He was taken into custody on Sunday in Nantong following Wu's mother lamenting to police officials that the family had been swindled, reported The Hollywood Reporter.

Kris Wu's Side of the Story

The accuser had been quoted by NetEase as alleging that Wu encouraged her to drink too much at one party in December. She said that she woke up in his bed. Wu stated through his social media handle that he met the accuser. However, he rebuffed encouraging her to drink. He also said other parts of her narrative did not happen, reported CBC.

The woman was also quoted as alleging that other women told her that Wu enticed them with vows of jobs and other possibilities. According to their statement, police are probing into claims that Wu deceived young women into sexual associations multiple times, reported Billboard.

Brands cut associations with Wu on the day of the release of the NetEase report. This depicted their sensitivity to public opinion following the ruling Communist Party and igniting fury at clothing and shoe brands in response to reports from the West of human rights abuses in Xinjiang's mostly Muslim area.

Wu is named in Chinese as Wu Yifan. He grew up in southern China's Guangzhou and in British Columbia's Vancouver.

Wu's acting career included acting out a role in "XXX: Return of Xander Cage" in 2017 and appearing in two Chinese box office successes "Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back" and "Mr. Six."